Tanglin Trust School Reflections 2021

Reflections

2021

1

PHOTO

2

Contents

4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 22 24 30 34 36 38

CEO’s Foreword The 3-14 Curriculum Project Tanglin’s New House System Inspirational Speakers and Events Infant School Junior School Senior School Exam Results University Placements Sport The Arts Outdoor Education Governance Management

3

Chief Executive Officer Craig Considine Writing this summary of the year’s activities brings considerable pleasure; much has been achieved.

One such achievement is the ongoing development of the Gate C building. It is fascinating to watch it push skyward, level by level, constructed by workers ferried in from all over Singapore.

Construction workers must take pride in the erection of a facility that will help educate current and future Tanglin students.

Towards the end of Term 3, we were fascinated to witness a convoy of 106 concrete trucks roll in to provide the material for our new 50-metre pool. I wonder what the collective noun is for a convoy of concrete trucks… My guess is a “crush”!

Our vision of three schools in one was further enhanced this year.

Tanglin’s Strategic Plan and vision for the future guides each school’s development plan. Leadership teams across the school understand what great education looks like in each section of the school. Their work is supported by Tanglin’s whole-school Academic, Co-Curriculum and Pastoral committees. The educational pathway for our students is continually molded to reflect what we know works, and the evidence-based improvements that continue to equip our children so well.

The school’s Strategic Plan is centred on six key themes. These are: 1. Inspired Learners 2. Flourishing Individuals 3. Personal Best 4. Team Tanglin 5. Sustainable Future 6. Our People.

We have achieved many of the goals we set ourselves in this plan.

Given the challenges we have faced this year, however, we will continue to utilise the current strategic framework to ensure we achieve all targets. These will be modified through 2021/22. We will seek feedback from all stakeholders to consider our vision for the school and which areas require greater focus, and the Governors will continue to meet to build on work they have done this year.

These processes align well with the Tanglin centenary in 2025.

In 2020/21, the examination system was again disrupted for our Senior students undertaking public examinations. Though the IB Diploma exams were unscathed, A Levels and (I)GCSE exams were assessed by either teacher assessed grades (TAG) or an exam.

This year, UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) and the examination boards have provided clearer guidance.

Our teachers have utilised an evidence-based approach in the determination of grades. This process has ensured results that are cognisant of students’ work through the year, while recognising the possibilities that an examination might have reflected. Well done and thank you to the Senior School staff who spent a vast amount of time ensuring students received a fair result for their work.

Teachers are, of course, critical to the management of a successful school. Globally, we are noticing a tightening in supply, as fewer teachers want to work and live overseas. This reflects challenges we all face as expatriates or locals who worry about family in other parts of the world, and the health systems in other countries. There was much anxiety and sadness over the summer as the Delta and newer

4

Covid variants decimated communities globally. We have endeavoured to react to these circumstances and support teachers and families by modifying term dates for 2021/22 so we can all travel. This approach may also require a flexible approach to education at school, but we hope it will serve our community well.

There have been many other key achievements and foci through the year, and I wanted to comment on just a few.

Creating a connected and coherent community is critical to the success of Tanglin Trust School. Therefore, one of our strategic themes is Team Tanglin. We have tried to keep people connected to the school through a vast number of virtual and face-to-face events.

Nearby Café Melba certainly benefited from the coffee mornings that were implemented, and an array of parent support groups were offered. In reality, however, we know we have become fragmented, and our Friends of Tanglin association will work doubly hard in the future to reconnect the community as we move through 2021/22.

Another important element in growing our community is the Tanglin Alumni. The association has taken significant strides forward this year, establishing a global Alumni Committee and observing growing levels of engagement. With the support of the TTS Foundation, it has been able to offer Alumni places on the TTS Foundation Internship Programme and awarded Career Development Grants. It has been fun and enlightening to sit on the interview panel to assess whether to green-light our Alumni’s proposals. Tanglin Alumni are impressive, and it is always good to be able to support their professional and personal development. The process reflects the school’s commitment to members of our community even after they have moved on from Tanglin.

Student leadership is central to a Tanglin education. This belief is evident from the time children start in the Infant School, where

opportunities are given for personal growth and development.

Caring for others, caring about the community and the planet, and understanding how one collaborates with others for the greater good, are all attributes that align nicely with the Tanglin values of Respect, Responsibility and Purpose. Speaking with reason and passion reflect the empathy, compassion and institutional savvy that young leaders will require. The recent Singapore Young Leader Summit, co-developed by the non-profit Bridge Institute and multinational company Accenture, was based at Tanglin.

It brought together students from local and international schools to consider the Singapore Government’s Green Plan and explore how it could be applied to a range of societal outcomes.

The Outdoor Education and trips programme that Tanglin is so well known for required modifications in 2020/21. Some much-loved rites of passage, such as the Sarawak trip in Year 6, the Ladakh expedition in Year 9 and our Caring for Cambodia trip, were all cancelled. Given the ongoing global challenges due to COVID-19, our schedule must change this year. The outdoors provides amazing experiential learning opportunities that challenge students in diverse ways. We must build a modified approach into our timetable to retain these. The on-site Forest School programme for our youngest children is being further developed with the modification of our green spaces, and will provide a rich resource.

The House system at Tanglin has reflected the school’s development over time. Previously, each school had its own Houses and this year it was decided to consolidate these into to eight new Houses – Alexandra, Cameron, Claymore, Portsdown, Raeburn, Wessex, Weyhill and Winchester – that will provide a connected experience for students as they move through the school. Historic House names, such as the Infant School’s Baloo, Bagheera, Rann and Sher, and the Junior School’s Beruang, Elang, Harimau and Singa, will be retained in awards to honour their legacies.

Schools are regulated by several different authorities. In Singapore, our regulator is the Committee for Private Education (CPE). We

also undertake regular inspections with a number of global bodies.

As a British School Overseas, Tanglin is inspected against Department for Education standards. Given the alignment of the school, we chose to undertake our inspection as one school, rather than as three individual schools. This year, however, inspections were postponed for all schools; we are planning for our next inspection in 2022.

In the absence of school inspections and to maintain the very high standards required at Tanglin, we have engaged external partners to assess our adherence to a range of policies, procedures and KPIs. Cybersecurity, Outdoor Education and Trips, and Safeguarding have all been reviewed. These studies identified very positive processes and culture. Recommendations were made to improve our practice and we are busy implementing those suggestions.

Great schools are the product of great people. Sadly, from time to time, those who have given so much move on – and 2021 is such a time. They have been mentioned in the school overviews, but I also want to congratulate Chris Allen, Philippa Hatton and Angela Dawson on their stellar careers at Tanglin. As Pastoral Deputy Heads, these three individuals have been responsible for our students flourishing – and isn’t that a mammoth undertaking in such turbulent times?

We owe each of these amazing people a significant vote of thanks.

Empathy, care, and Tanglin are in their DNA; we shall miss them and we wish them well for what lies ahead.

In Reflections 2021, colleagues have written about many elements of life at Tanglin. We have tried immensely hard to promote and develop opportunities for students throughout this very strange year; the fugue that has so befuddled us all during 2020/21 has, thankfully, not diminished our zest for outstanding learning opportunities. I hope you will enjoy reading about them.

While this year has not quite had a normal rhythm to it, many of the classroom-based activities have progressed positively and well.

The fact that so much of the curricular and community events have not occurred is a source of great sadness. We hope we can make up for this in the year ahead.

Roll on 2021/22.

5

The Tanglin 3-14 Curriculum Project

by John Ridley, Director of Learning As a 3-18 school on a single campus, we have always prided ourselves on the planned progression within our curriculum, leading to smooth transitions from the Infant to Junior and Senior schools. For many years, the backbone of this progression has always been the English National Curriculum (NC). However, more recently the NC has become less tightly defined; in addition, each of our schools has made changes to the topics studied to ensure greater relevance for our students here in Singapore. In 2019, we made the decision to create our own curriculum framework. This has involved a Curriculum Working Group of more than 60 teachers across the campus, representing all subjects and working together to create a curriculum relevant to our students that builds coherently as they progress through school. Much progress has been made behind the scenes in 2020/21 and we are looking forward to formally launching the new framework in 2021/22.

The New Framework

The structure for our new curriculum framework is based on a model described to us by educational consultant Chris Quigley, who visited Tanglin in August 2019. Quigley advocates a knowledge-rich curriculum articulation, based around clear subject disciplines. This approach suits us well as it allows us to build a 3-14 curriculum that clearly feeds into our strong faculty structure in the Upper School and Sixth Form. More than this, though, it recognises evidence from Cognitive Science that high-level thinking requires the ability to draw on knowledge that has been securely stored in long-term memory (Willingham, 2009). Organising knowledge (facts, skills and procedures) within subject disciplines encourages students to make connections with prior learning, which in turn results in more secure long-term memories. It also makes it easier for teachers to map out the curriculum and plan progression of ideas, highlighting opportunities to reinforce those connections.

The Tanglin 3-14 Curriclum Framework has the following key elements for each subject discipline: Key Concepts Each subject has identified three or four “Threshold Concepts” or Big Ideas that are central to the subject. The ultimate aim of the curriculum is for students to gain a deep understanding of these concepts.

6

Tanglin Curriculum Milestones

Knowledge Categories Within each concept area, Knowledge Categories have been identified that help teachers and students organise knowledge.

These have been chosen to be applicable across the age range.

Milestone Statements The curriculum has been divided into five ”Milestones”: at the end of Year 1, and then at two-year intervals up to Year 9. The Milestone Statements are statements of what all students should know and/or be able to do by the end of that Milestone.

Progression and Attainment

There are two dimensions to progression in the new curriculum.

The first is marked by the Milestone Statements at those two-year intervals. As students progress through the Milestones, the ideas they engage with are increasingly complex, in line with students’ increasing maturity and the increasing amount of prior knowledge that can be built on. This is reflected in the Milestone Statements that use increasingly sophisticated language; include more abstract ideas; reflect a widening of perspectives. All students will progress by engaging with these more complex ideas at some level. The second dimension concerns the application of knowledge.

Within each Milestone, students will be able to apply knowledge with different levels of scaffolding and support, and with different levels of confidence and fluency, in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts. These differences in the application of knowledge will form the basis of our assessment and reporting system, and will be described using the following “mastery language” descriptors:

Beginning Developing Knows this or can do in simple and familiar contexts with prompts, support or scaffolding.

Knows this or can do this in familiar contexts with minimal prompts, support or scaffolding.

Advancing

Mastering

Knows this or can do this independently, without prompts or support, in familiar taught contexts of increasing complexity.

Can apply knowledge of this in unfamiliar and more complex contexts, with fluency.

Is able to make links with other areas of knowledge.

Our aim is for students to build secure knowledge schemas in long-term memory, which they can draw on confidently and fluently.

In other words, our objective is for students to fit the Advancing or Mastering descriptors in most areas by the end of each Milestone.

Assessment and Reporting

Throughout the 2020/21 academic year, an Assessment Steering Group has worked in parallel with the Curriculum Working Group to consider how best to track student progress and report attainment to parents under the new framework. A key objective for this group has been to ensure that teachers’ routine assessments are supporting learning by providing useful and timely feedback.

For this to happen, routine assessments need to be low-stakes and focused on specific areas of knowledge; such assessments provide transitory “snapshots” of learning that have little value of their own as judgements of attainment. Meaningful judgements on attainment, based on the application of knowledge as described above, can only be made after students have had multiple opportunities to apply their knowledge in a range of contexts. Our reporting model will have a consistent approach of providing two reports to parents each school year; the first will report on effort, or ”attitudes to learning” only; the second report, in Term 3, will also have attainment judgements for subjects, using the mastery descriptors.

Consultation with Friends of Tanglin focus groups early in Term 3 gave us some very clear feedback on the length and timeliness of the end-of year reports. Following this feedback, we are developing a new template that will have fewer written comments (retaining the class teacher/tutor comment) and a cleaner, easy-to-read format. The changes will reduce the lead time between teachers entering data and the publication of reports, meaning the end-of-year report will be available well before the end of term, allowing time for discussion and follow-up with parents and students.

Launching the New Curriculum

Teachers will be teaching using our new framework across the Infant and Junior Schools from August. In the Senior School, a pilot group of subjects will begin using the new framework in Year 8, the beginning of Milestone 5.

It will take some time to fully embed the new curriculum and to become used to the new language of Milestones and Mastery; however, the project has already led to a huge number of high-quality professional conversations between colleagues from different parts of the school. There is no doubt the new curriculum will result in planned progression through Tanglin that is stronger than ever.

7

Tanglin’s New House System

On June 29, 2021, students were welcomed to one of Tanglin’s eight Houses, as part of the school’s revamped House system. The new whole-school Houses take their names from four pre-existing Senior School Houses: Alexandra, Cameron, Raeburn and Wessex, as well as four original names: Claymore, Weyhill, Winchester and Portsdown. All the names speak to a location or building in Tanglin’s 96-year history.

As part of the welcome, Infant School children were given a “Welcome to Your New House” gift pack containing a Team Tanglin card, a new House badge and mask. The masks themselves had been designed by an enterprising group of Year 6 students, whose sustainable project was generously supported by the TTS Foundation.

The name of the district housing the Tanglin Club, where Anne Griffiths-Jones first established a school in 1925.

The bold new House emblems, seen right and opposite, were designed by Matt Durant at Glyphh in consultation with the school.

From Nursery to Year 13, the unified House system gives all students a grouping that will remain with them as they grow up at Tanglin.

In 2021/22, the House system will foster more cross-age interaction and help nurture a sense of belonging across campus.

House Captains

Our inaugural House Captains were excited to lead the new Houses into 2021/22. Above, left to right: Miriam (Captain: Alexandra), Merawana (Captain: Portsdown), Allanah (Captain: Weyhill), Avani (Captain: Wessex), Lizzy (Captain: Winchester), Thilak (Captain: Calymore), Emma (Captain: Cameron) and Jia Hui (Captain: Raeburn).

8

The location of Tanglin Trust School since 1981, Portsdown Road marries “old” and “new” Singapore, with its winding, leafy vistas giving way to a modern biomedical and technology hub.

Named after Raeburn Park School, an institution established in 1954 for non-service expatriate families and later brought into the Tanglin family.

A name synonymous with Miss Griff’s Cameron Highlands Boarding School, Malaysia, where children up to age 12 were educated from 1934-1950.

The leafy environs of Alexandra Park were used by the Tanglin family of schools from 1972-1996.

Named for Weyhill Preparatory School, opened in 1971 and later merged with Raeburn and Tanglin Preparatory School to form Tanglin Infant and Junior schools, in 1981.

This House is named for Winchester Nursery, where Tanglin’s youngest children learned and explored from 1976-1996.

Wessex Infant School, an old army school, was the site at which Weyhill was established in 1971. The nearby Wessex Estate is still a rich resource for our Infants today.

Year 6 Sustainable Mask Initiative

The official House masks (seen left) were designed by Year 6 students Advika, Alexander, Annabelle, Eliza, Kathleen, Siyona, and Vedant as part of a project led by teacher Chloe Beard and sponsored by the TTS Foundation.

9

Inspirational Speakers and Events While the school’s usual events calendar was impacted due to ongoing local restrictions, staff and student creativity ensured a rich programme of educational opportunities and experiences still took place. The following pages highlight just some of the speakers who worked with members of our school community this year, as well as events hosted and organised by Tanglin – many of them supported by the TTS Foundation.

TEDxTanglin Supported by the TTS Foundation In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading”, TEDx is a programme of self-organised events that brings people together to share a TED-like experience. This year, speakers from across the Tanglin community presented their ideas on the theme of “Coming Together” through talks varying from cultural diversity to international Arctic expeditions, in an effort to consider how we can unite to resolve the challenges of our time. Organised by students, TEDxTanglin 2021 was livestreamed to the community, enabling speakers’ ideas to be shared more widely than ever before.

The Big Draw A favourite fixture in Tanglin’s Infant School calendar, the Big Draw’s theme for 2020 was “A Climate of Change”. As part of the event, children decorated leaf-shaped paper with eco-related artwork which, along with bugs, butterflies and “save the planet” messages was then added to the bare branches of a tree constructed by the Art department. The paper itself was embedded with basil, parsley, dill and wildflower seeds, meaning that once the event was over, children would be able to place it under soil at home and watch their own plants grow; a wonderfully creative and truly sustainable idea.

World Cancer Day Talk As part of his series of talks on Women’s Holistic Health, Year 12 student Rahul hosted a special talk on Women’s Cancer timed around World Cancer Day, on February 4. For the talk, which Rahul had organised as part of his CAS completion, a specialist from a renowned government hospital in Singapore appeared on screen to answer questions on the topic from the audience, who included students as well as faculty, support, operations and housekeeping staff, attending both in-person and on Zoom.

Twelve Days of Christmas Supported by the TTS Foundation In lieu of an in-person Christmas Fayre, members of our community collaborated to create 12 magical moments that would bring festive cheer to all our Facebook feeds. Launched on 1 December with a rousing performance by Corporal Maha Prasad Gurung, Piper from the Gurkha Contingent, Pipes and Drums Platoon, surprises behind the 12 advent windows included poetry reading, cookie baking and crafting by students and staff across campus, capped off with a virtual seat at St George’s Festival of Music on December 12.

Chen Shitong Chen Shitong first visited the Tanglin campus in 2014 and has been inspiring our young artists each year since with his thought-provoking and playful observations of the world. Shitong’s approach is to “look for positivity in failure”, believing that “progress is more important than perfection”. As part of this approach, he shared many examples of his own works in progress during his 2021 visit (see above). Students attending his workshops were taught how to observe the world around them, notice and record things they might otherwise overlook, and think beyond what they already know.

IN Art Exhibition The new year began in style with this virtual version of the Singapore International Schools Art Exhibition. Using a fully-fledged digital platform to host students’ work designed by Eva Stanistreet, Tanglin Alumna and Arts Faculty Technical Executive, the exhibition showcased the work of students from 16 international school across the Little Red Dot. As part of the move online, the exhibition also included a small selection of videos for the first time, enabling the young artists to share their processes and reflections. It also meant family and friends overseas could take part in the celebrations.

Pippa Chorley Author and Tanglin parent Pippa delighted our Infant School children with a series of visits that were timed to coincide with World Book Day on March 4. Pippa read from her most recent book, Stuffed!, which is a follow-up to Counting Sheep, winner of Best Picture Book at the Singapore Book Awards 2020. Pippa took questions from our budding bookworms about her work and explained where she finds her inspiration.

Gary Friedman Supported by the TTS Foundation Gary Friedman is a professional animator and puppet master who has previously visited Tanglin to share his prodigious talent and expertise in this field with our students. In January 2020, Gary delivered virtual workshops to our Year 10 Film students in a

10

week-long event. In support of the students’ own animation projects, he shared his knowledge of the basic principles of animation; from the technical how-to, through to the value of non-verbal communication, and how to imbue inanimate objects with a sense of life and personality.

ARTiculation ARTiculation is the UK-based Roche Court Educational Trust’s internationally-acclaimed initiative that provides a platform for young people to express their opinions, passions and thoughts about art to a global audience. As part of the competition, students create a 10-minute presentation on a work of art, architecture or artefact.

Tanglin students competing in the ARTiculation Southeast Asia (SEA) 2021 final in March spoke at a lectern in the Moot

(see above), joining a wider event that was livestreamed between Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and the UK. Topics ranged from Van Gogh and Japonisme, to Giacometti and Existentialism, and the cinematic portrayal of the villain in The Joker.

Singapore Young Leader Summit Supported by the TTS Foundation In March, Tanglin hosted the launch of the Singapore Young Leader Summit. The initiative brought together students from six international and Singaporean schools to collaborate with leaders from business on finding solutions to the sustainability challenges faced by Singapore today, in support of the government’s Green Plan. The prestigious event was opened by Minister Desmond Tan, who wrote, “I look forward to working with our passionate youths to co-create a sustainable Singapore.”

TTS Foundation Ceramics Workshops Supported by the TTS Foundation During a two-week period in May, more than 40 Year 11 students took part in the TTS Foundation Ceramics Workshops, led by artist Leilani Trinka (see above right). Working with clay proved a tactile, sensory experience for the students, promoting a much-needed sense of calm and purpose during the (I)GCSE exam season.

With every pinch and shape of the clay, students learnt about the material’s properties, practised their techniques, and became absorbed in crafting their object. Furthermore, the workshops provided a useful “bridge” for students planning to continue their studies in Art into Year 12.

TTS Foundation Instrumental Encounters Supported by the TTS Foundation Through mini concerts and unique performance encounters with professional musicians, the three-week TTS Foundation Instrumental Encounters programme (see below) created rich and memorable musical experiences across campus. As part

of the initiative, Junior and Senior percussionists from Tanglin’s Percussion ensembles took part in workshops led by Morse Percussion Group workshops to develop their individual and group skills, before demonstrating their skills in front of their peers in the Berrick Hall. Infant School children were also treated to a special performance by our visitors, as well as a showcase by Brandon’s String Quartet the following week.

Interpretations Exhibition Now in its fourth year, the Interpretations Exhibition is a unique collaboration between the National Gallery Singapore and Tanglin’s Art, Music, Film and English faculties. Through Interpretations, students develop creative responses to artwork within the National Gallery collection with their own art, music, film and poetry. In 2021, Tanglin put on its first digital showcase, displaying a series of students’ interpretations of works from the gallery’s permanent collection. From Year 8 English students narrating their experiences of the paintings through poetry, to a showcase of the gallery’s classical and postmodern architecture by IB Film Studies students, the diverse exhibition featured a multitude of perspectives.

TTS Foundation Robotics Challenge Supported by the TTS Foundation More than 60 students from the Infant and Junior School participated in this competitive building project that took its inspiration from animals. Conducted in two sessions, our Year 2 and 3 engineers made machines based on wobble, walk, flex, reel, grab or push mechanisms in pairs, using only coding and their imagination! The children were assessed on their robust engineering, smartest coding, creative design, outstanding teamwork, presentation skills, and resilience.

TTS Foundation Magic of Maths Show Supported by the TTS Foundation Tanglin welcomed back “Mathemagician” Andrew Jeffrey and his show The Magic of Maths to the Junior School, in time for STEAM week in May. During his performance – beamed into all Junior classrooms from the UK – Andrew fascinated the children with tricks featuring mathematical concepts. As they figured out how each trick worked, the children’s confidence increased, sparking further curiosity and a greater understanding of mathematical mindsets.

Centre Stage School of the Arts Supported by the TTS Foundation In June, more than 170 Year 2 children enjoyed a virtual visit from “Captain James Cook” and “Joseph Banks”, courtesy of Centre Stage School of the Arts. Actors brought the historical figures to life, giving the children insights into life aboard the HMS Endeavour during its voyage to New Zealand and Australia. The high-energy performance complemented the children’s topic work on Cook’s explorations and Banks’ botanical work, while an opportunity to experience “life onboard the busy ship” helped develop their drama skills.

11

Infant School

by Paula Craigie

Joy in the Journey In the Infant School, we embraced the 2020/21 academic year as any other, and did our absolute best throughout to celebrate the many successes and adventures along the way. Our appreciation of the daily fun at school was deepened

by Christina Mitchell, who as an Educational Consultant and Life Coach encouraged us all to actively look to bring more joy into our day, both at home and in school, and reminded us all to find “joy in the journey”.

Pockets of joy included the launch of our new Early Years Foundation Stage playground in January, with thanks to governor Clare Wijeratne for cutting the ribbon – and testing out the slide! We also enjoyed spending time exploring our local environment. On campus, we conducted

12

nature walks that encouraged the children to look more closely at the world outside our doors, while Year 2 explored further afield at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.

And, we experienced a range of virtual visits by authors, actors and artists throughout the year.

Mona Choo, our Infant Art Executive and Artist-in-Residence, is currently working on a new art installation for the Infant School, funded by the TTS Foundation.

The installation will be made up of hundreds of resin cubes with items encapsulated within them. This artwork will be similar in approach to a time capsule, with each of the resin cubes holding an object that represents our community at this extraordinary moment in history.

Our community flourished under the restrictions in 2020/21, demonstrating continuing adaptability and extraordinary resilience. In the Infant School, we modified seating plans, learning environments, concerts, performances, Sports days, Parent-Teacher Conferences, and even our curriculum and pedagogy, to ensure we followed guidelines while maximising the enjoyment of the learning experience for our children.

Year 2, particularly, faced challenges: successfully completing a 15-day remote learning period, only to return to school for just three days before going virtual again!

Our younger children then joined them in remote learning, at the end of the school year.

All the children coped admirably with the changes, and their teachers and Teaching and Learning Assistants enjoyed seeing their smiles without their masks on! There were also many delighted reactions from the younger children, who were excited to see their teachers and Teaching and Learning Assistants “on TV”!

As the school year drew to a close, we were already eager for the return to school in August, reinforced by the knowledge that exciting changes were already underway – the introduction of our on-site Forest School programme, our whole-school House System and the new 3-14 curriculum.

One of the challenges of the academic year for the Infant School was being able to stay connected, and this meant adapting our approach and doing things differently.

Myself and the Deputy Headteachers (known as HDD) had to consider how best to communicate on a large scale. The table opposite shows how our processes changed in 2020/21 from the previous year.

2019/20

2020/21

Weekly in-person staff briefings.

Weekly video message by the Head of Infant School and a digital briefing email.

Year group assemblies led by the three HDD (four per term each; 12 per year).

Class assemblies and stories led by HDD, totalling more than 200 classroom visits over the year!

An Infant School social to launch the school year.

An additional 39 coffee breaks hosted

by HDD.

Morning and afternoon duties by HDD, totalling 30 minutes per staff member each day.

Staggered morning drop-offs and departures to ensure social distancing, doubling duties to one hour per staff member each day.

That’s 10 hours per person each week, and 350 hours over the 2020/21 academic year!

Regular face-to-face staff training sessions.

Hundreds of webinars offered both by internal staff and external providers to ensure the continuance of professional development.

Whole-school assemblies, involving up to 736 children and 150 adults.

Full-length video extravaganzas beamed into classrooms.

Legacy is part of the journey and some long-standing colleagues left us in July. Our leavers this year totalled a whopping 142 years of collective service amongst them. Thank you to:

Jo Kala (44 years)

Darin Thomas (1 year, 9 months)

Nursery TLA

Infant Office

Christine Wong (40 years)

Mona Choo (3 years)

Year 2 TLA

Technical Art & Design Executive

Angela Dawson (23 years)

Shirley Tea (9 years, 9 months)

Deputy Headteacher - Pastoral

Year 1 TLA

Michelle Robertson (11 years)

Francesca Occhipinti (6 months)

Class Teacher and KS1 Data Manager

PE STLA

Claudia Joachim (4 years)

All of you made an extraordinary contribution to Team Tanglin – thank you!

Year 2 TLA

Norasmalina Ahmad (3 years) Nursery TLA

Raudha Robu (2 years) Reception TLA

We hope all of our leavers will continue to be part of our community as all our valued Tanglin Alumni are. We look forward to reuniting with many of them for our 100th birthday celebrations in 2025.

13

Junior School

by Clair Harrington-Wilcox

The 2020/21 academic year delivered several challenges, but also many exceptional opportunities.

It enabled everyone to question why we do things in a particular way and also to ask, is this the best way? This questioning could be found in every classroom and heard in the Year 6 Graduation speeches. The changing face of how society, and indeed our community, operated during this time led to a number of new developments, such as our online Parent-Teacher conferences.

While teachers and parents alike have undoubtedly missed their usual face-to face-interactions, the virtual conferences did enable busy parents, or for two parents working in different locations, to feel included in their child’s learning experience.

We hope this will allow more flexibility for families in the future, with a hybrid model permitting some parents on campus and allowing others to remotely dial in; our aim is to offer an inclusive education system that caters for all. Will operations ever fully return to a pre-pandemic “normal”? Probably not. Can we continue to embrace these positive developments as we move forward? Absolutely!

FLOURISHING INDIVIDUALS The importance of pastoral care and retaining focus on one’s wellbeing has been essential as we adjust to the “new normal”.

The importance of being able to adapt, persevere and maintain optimism has been made clear to our community. This proactive

14

approach to pastoral care has been vital in providing children with the skills and knowledge to care for themselves and others later in life. We are confident that, no matter what obstacles appear on the path, each child will have the ability to flourish.

Our Five Ways to Wellbeing have been integral in supporting the community to respond with resilience to the challenges of restrictions this year, while also reminding us to take notice of the things we can be grateful for.

We were delighted when Tanglin was asked to showcase its Positive Education Journey from Infants to Seniors at the International Positive Education Network conference, in October 2020. Members of the Junior School, including former Deputy Head (Pastoral) Philippa Hatton and Head of Lifeskills Caroline Rushworth, shared how we have embedded the “Live It, Learn It, Teach It” model. The model forms the basis for our bespoke Junior Lifeskills curriculum that has flourishing children at its heart. “Yours is a great story that, when shared, will inspire many other educators across the world,” said Simon Murray OAM, Global Chair of the International Positive Education Network.

INSPIRED LEARNERS We have recently completed a curriculum review across the Infant, Junior and Senior Schools to further enhance our provision, ensure a seamless transition between the schools, and enable students to achieve their best both personally and academically.

We have developed clearly articulated concepts, knowledge categories and individual statements in all subjects that children revisit and develop from age 3-14. This project has brought colleagues from the three schools together in order to work collaboratively. Our next steps are to carry out a diversity and inclusion audit; as part of this, we will review the specific context and topics we teach. Our aim is to ensure that all children not only see themselves reflected in the books we read, the scientists we study and the music we play, but are also exposed to differing viewpoints, ideas and experiences that enhances and develops their cultural capital.

Our Chinese programme continues to go from strength to strength, as evidenced when our native and fluent Mandarin speakers took part in the Education Perfect Online Languages Competition and

were placed in the top 2% of entries globally. To develop our academic pathways from the Junior to Senior School, we began a pilot of Mother Tongue Chinese provision in Year 6, in line with a similar offering in the Senior School. Although the move to Remote Learning forcibly put the pilot on hold, we are looking forward to restarting it this year.

We have continued to develop our learning spaces across the school. The collaborative areas in each year group base have been updated and will provide additional learning zones for group work and collaboration. In addition, we have maximised the use of space by developing the previous iChill area in Year 6 into the “Learning Lounge”, a multi purpose, collaborative area that will enhance the provision by our Personalised Learning Team. We are also developing a Media Suite in the Year 4 base to create a designated zone for filming and editing. The change will free up space in the unit for our younger children to have increased access to non-technology-focused collaborative areas, in line with the developments in Year 5 and Year 6.

During periods of Remote Learning, the importance of technological literacy, and the ability to responsibly and effectively use technology to access, create and communicate information, have become more apparent than ever. Across the Junior School curriculum, our innovative, embedded use of learning technologies focused on developing these skills to enable collaboration and communication, both during in-school and Remote Learning periods. The provision of school-owned iPads for Years 3-5 greatly facilitated this and supported children in working independently from home. The development of the use of platforms such as Seesaw and Google Classroom allowed both teachers and parents insight into the children’s learning and supported the transition from on-campus to at-home learning.

PERSONAL BEST While we very much missed the varied opportunities our children have previously had to compete and perform in front of a live audience, we were delighted they could share their Personal Best with the community virtually instead. From the Year 4 Music Concert to the Lunar New Year Assembly, the Year 6 Graduation, a virtual art exhibition and the Year 6 Performance, children were able to share special moments with family and friends across the globe. While the move online brought unexpected benefits, it was still an absolute delight to be able to welcome parents into school for the Junior Young Musician concert, a special event celebrating musical achievement in the Junior School.

TEAM TANGLIN A world-class Co-Curriculum programme forms a bridge from the formal curriculum to pastoral care. At its heart, it should be intrinsically centred on wellbeing, with learners flourishing and achieving their Personal Best, while being a curriculum in its own right that provides the opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing ones. The Co-Curriculum includes those structured learning activities that complement the formal curriculum, such as rich and diverse programme of clubs, societies and activities. We are pleased to announce that we will be doubling our provision of such activities in 2021/22 and will look to expand our Outdoor Education offering later in the academic year. The Co-Curriculum also encompasses our new and dynamic House system, and service opportunities.

To support the changes, our new Co-Curriculum platform, SOCS, will be accessible through the Parent Portal, allowing parents to view and sign up for activities easily; the programme is an intuitive and efficient way of managing each child’s schedule. In addition, the appointment of an Assistant Head of School to the Senior Leadership Team, whose focus will be on developing and enhancing our Co-Curriculum, is an exciting move that will redouble our commitment to this key component of school life in 2021/22.

15

Senior School

by Allan Forbes

I was once again delighted with the academic results achieved in (I)GCSE, IB and A Level, despite a second year of disruptions resulting in a mixed economy of examinations taken by the students (IB and CIE) and Teacher Assessed Grades, or TAGs (Pearson). The headlines included: • 83% of (I)GCSE grades were A*, A or equivalent (7, 8 or 9) • 97% of all A Level grades were in the range A*-C • Our IB average stands at a record 41.0 (compared to a global average of 33.0).

We remain focused on supporting our students pastorally, and developing their learning and skills with experiences beyond the classroom through Sport, the Arts, academic enrichment, House events, service projects, Outdoor Education opportunities; and links with our local community and further afield. The central aim of the Senior School is to prepare students for life beyond Tanglin, and the Tanglin educational journey reaches destinations way beyond the single-minded desire, drive and achievement of these amazing academic outcomes.

The Class of 2021 are now settling into a variety of diverse opportunities, with 24 students embarking on National Service, 18 taking a Gap Year, and 97% headed to their first- or second choice university in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia or here in Singapore. I have noted a dip in UK matriculations from 66% last year to 54.5% this year, with another dip from 9% to 5.7% in the USA. The reviewed and revised commitments of the Senior School Development Plan, in line with the Strategic Plan, are: PASTORAL • The completion of an all year group Student Wellbeing Survey to benchmark where we are as school and to identify key strengths and areas for development.

• Positive Education, with a focus on Positive Relationships

16

• • • • • • •

and including: - Focus in tutor time on character strengths - Student Coaching - Student Leadership - Student Voice - Nurturing CPD for form tutors - Student shadowing in Science, Languages and Maths; Leading to the development of Character Strengths: Perseverance, Kindness, Leadership, Zest, Curiosity, Gratitude, Hope, Fairness, Humour, Love, Teamwork, Forgiveness, Social Intelligence, Bravery, Honesty, Judgment, Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Creativity, Perspective, Prudence, Self-Regulation, Love of Learning, Humility, and Spirituality; to the exploration of students’ strengths and areas for improvement; and the development of “bounce-back-ability”.

Completion of the Lifeskills curriculum audit across three schools, to be followed up by the deployment of a specialist Lifeskills teacher in all year groups from next year.

An external Safeguarding audit, highlighting the good work we do towards keeping children safe.

The successful trial of CPOMS as our Child Protection management system to track historical incidents and manage cases that are a Pastoral concern. This will be used by all teachers from August 2022.

Completing nurturing training for new staff and any other staff who have not yet received it; training is already complete for 120+ staff.

Building a greater understanding and awareness of digital citizenship.

Reviewing our rewards and awards procedures.

Developing more social spaces for students, including future plans for an Upper School hub.

The extended Remote Learning period provided many challenges for the Pastoral support team, but we were impressed by how the student body responded to the challenges of adapting to the restrictions, staying on top of their learning, and not seeing their friends. Some students did struggle, but the efforts of HoYs, AHoYs, tutors and counsellors, as well as class teachers, provided excellent support to students and their families. Having line of sight on our most vulnerable students was not easy but, on reflection, the systems and processes that we introduced were very effective.

ACADEMIC Curriculum While the rolling out of the new 3-14 curriculum has spanned the whole of Tanglin, the Senior School has been heavily involved in supporting its development. Vertical integration across schools has been key, and the level of commitment and collaboration has been impressive. Threshold Concepts and Milestones have been finalised, and a new assessment and reporting structure is now in place. As part of the launch, the Senior School will begin the implementation of the curriculum in Term 1, with a pilot involving four subjects: English, Computer Science, History and Music. The aim of the new curriculum is to establish greater

connectivity through the school in terms of content coverage and assessment practices. This, in turn, will ensure the progress of our students aged 3-14 is consistently monitored and reported across all three schools.

virtual affair, the accompanying video was watched more than 10,000 times on YouTube, a far bigger reach than any other Tanglin concert has previously enjoyed, showing there are some positive lessons to be learnt from the pandemic.

Assessment and Reporting Over the course of the 2019/20 academic year, five Senior School teachers completed Evidence Based Education’s year-long Assessment Lead Programme and in 2020/21, as qualified Assessment Leads, these teachers led a series of half-termly assessment foci to support all teachers in developing their practice further. Each half term saw a different assessment focus, launched through a video for staff, and an ongoing task for the half term, with the aim of allowing teachers to trial approaches in the classroom and reflect on their successes with colleagues at a departmental level.

Faculty staff also rose to the challenge admirably of delivering fun and engaging Co-Curricular Activities once restrictions allowed.

There were some notable successes, including our first-ever victory in the Raffles U14 Debate Competition (Silver) and the brilliant ARTiculation competition, with competitors beamed in via video link.

The five half termly foci were; Multiple Inadequate Glances (MIGs), Hinge Questions and MCQs, Writing Graded Assessments, Avoiding Bias, and What Can the Data Tell Us? Alongside these very specific whole-school foci, a growing number of colleagues completed the excellent 10-week Assessment Essentials course, and this has now become a requirement of all teachers so as to ensure familiarity with best practice in assessment. Our final assessment focus of the year, What Can the Data Tell us?, had a focus on our CEM MidYIS data, and we have made good progress in developing teachers’ use of this data to identify where extra support may be needed on an individual student level, and what this support might look like in the classroom.

Teaching and Learning Given the reliance on technology during these unprecedented times, we bolstered our technological provision by developing both software and hardware strategies. For our students, this meant that our pen-enabled device programme moved into the Sixth Form for the first time. All students throughout the Senior School now carry such a device, meaning that they can interact with screen-based documents and programs with a stylus. Whether note-taking, solving equations, annotating or drawing, our students are now able to do it all on their device. We also developed our use of Microsoft Teams as the main platform within which students and teachers interact. We used Teams as a video-conferencing tool during the circuit breaker period of 2020, and now use it to set homework. Through it, we access OneNote, which acts as a digital textbook and exercise book rolled into one. The development of the pen-enabled device programme and the integration of Teams supported our transition to Remote Learning at the end of the academic year, making it a fluid and straightforward experience for students and teachers alike. With periods of remote learning likely to be part of our “new normal”, we are well-equipped to transition to online studies whenever we need to.

CO-CURRICULUM The Co-Curriculum has been significantly impacted during the Coronavirus pandemic. However, despite restrictions such as split lunches, no intermingling and heavy restrictions on Arts rehearsals and Sport practices, there was still much to celebrate and commend.

Of all our Co-Curriculum endeavours, Outdoor Education was impacted most heavily, with all overseas residentials cancelled for the year. Despite this, the team worked tirelessly to ensure varied, challenging and age-appropriate provision for all students. There were trips across Singapore, including visits to Sarimbun Scout Camp for Year 7 team-bonding days. A departmental audit initiated thoughtful conversation regarding the shape of Outdoor Education provision for students once we see greater local stability.

This year, we will be looking to embed and celebrate our new whole-school House system. The eight new Houses will provide students with a new forum for participation and competition, and give a multi-age community to which students can belong.

All faculties have been busily developing competitions and opportunities for students to participate in across the year, and we hope this will become something of real value and pleasure for students for the long term.

The Co-Curriculum has also been a driving factor in conversation around reshaping and lengthening the school day. After examining several models, thoughts are now coalescing around a shape that will ensure that every Senior School student can actively participate in a range of Co-Curricular opportunities each week.

CONCLUSION Despite the ongoing impact of COVID-19, the Senior School has continued to strive with an uncompromising resolve to build upon our Personal Best, initiatives and projects. We have pushed on in every way possible, under trying and unprecedented circumstances, and I have been delighted with the progress made over the past 12 months.

Tanglin Senior School remains an impressive and outstanding school based on building trust with its stakeholders; maintaining balance and order; and showing genuine affection and appreciation for the incredible energy, enthusiasm and enduring commitment of the staff, students and parent body; as well as benefiting from the guidance and support of the Governors. I remain very fortunate and proud to be the Head of Tanglin Senior School and to lead such inspiring learners and dedicated teachers, each in pursuit of their own Personal Best.

In Sport, a new sporting pathway is being developed through Heads of Sport that focuses on student development and physical literacy. In 2020/21, the new sport mornings for all Year 7 to 9 students provided an additional hour of Sport as a core part of their curriculum; this year, we will be extending this to Year 10 and 11 students.

Local restrictions have not dimmed staff or student desire to participate in Music or Drama, and several live and virtual concerts and performances were very well received. Titus Andronicus was a particular highlight in January, coming soon after restrictions had eased to allow for live performances.

While the first Music concert of the academic year was a forcibly

17

Examination Results

University Applications 2021

by Zoe Williams, Head of Careers & University Guidance

As the Coronavirus pandemic continued to evolve this year, the Careers & University Guidance team remained immensely busy, monitoring changes to university COVID-19 testing protocols, student movements on campus, and the new international fees imposed on EU students at UK universities post Brexit. Often, this required the team to be active in somewhat unsociable hours as they worked to retain personal relationships with universities across different time zones, and in online discussions, conferences and webinars.

We were disappointed not to be able to meet families in person, but nonetheless strived to remain as accessible as before, albeit online. A positive outcome of our virtual presentations has been the increased convenience for families and their ability to share recordings. We are also aware that, unlike other colleagues around the globe, we were very fortunate to have students on campus with us for the majority of the year.

In June, we were able to offer Year 12 students a full day of in-person workshops on university applications and transitions, before returning to Remote Learning for day two of our programme.

This was a different way of working for us all, but one we have learned to adapt to as a community. The shift back to Remote Learning also impacted the Work Experience programme (WEX) for Year 10 the following week, with sessions quickly adapted to run as virtual workshops. In our post-pandemic world, planning ahead for these events is more complex, with often three or four possible scenarios in consideration, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone – from Tanglin Alumni to employers – who sent in video clips and presentations about their experiences and careers. The ability to offer this enrichment opportunity is tremendous and, in a year when so many things were forcibly cancelled, we were thrilled to still be able to offer a week of careers exploration.

The majority of universities this year continued to offer a hybrid style of tuition, with seminars and tutoring taking place as usual but large lectures held remotely. We suspect this will continue to be the standard chosen structure at most institutions for the foreseeable future. Understandably, many parents and students were concerned that educational provision would not be sufficient in their current forms and that the university experience would not feature its usual rites-of-passage, such as Freshers Week, and clubs and societies. Despite the uncertainty, our advice at Tanglin has largely been that students should start their courses as planned.

Universities in Europe, Singapore, Australia and the USA are aiming to have all students back on campus this autumn should local restrictions allow. The USA is already advising students as to which

18

COVID-19 vaccinations they should receive and the UK has a mass student vaccination plan ready to be rolled out in September.

As quarantine regulations change, we have advised families to continue to reach out directly to individual universities for the most up-to-date information, and look at the education section on embassy websites for visa and travel updates.

Despite the uncertainty, this has been a fantastic year for Tanglin, with 97% of students achieving their first or second choice this year. “Six students have been admitted to Oxford and Cambridge: four to Oxford, to read Chemistry, French, Geography, and History and English; and two to Cambridge, to read Law, and History and Politics. One student will enrol at Yale University, USA in 2023 on completion of National Service, while another will attend Cornell Unviersity this autumn. Here in Singapore, two students will attend Yale-NUS and another will form one of the first cohorts for the prestigious new EHL campus. Twenty-four students will commence National Service, our largest cohort to date. A full list of university destinations for the Class of 2021 can be found on page 22.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021/22 We are anticipating another extremely competitive year for our current Year 13s, with many institutions reporting a record number of applications this year. Applications to Australian and Singaporean institutions have been on the rise. The UK has finally transitioned through Brexit, and EU students (except Irish students) are now classified as International students for fee status in the UK. Consequently, we expect to see EU students revert their gaze to European institutions, with interest rising in universities in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Our weekly bulletin, shared via InTouch, was a great resource in keeping students and their families up to date with universityand subject-related events and workshops last year. In 2021/22, we are planning for a wide variety of virtual visits, talks and enrichment lectures to take place. Students will also continue to be able to attend general information sessions with universities online, as well as more targeted, subject-specific sessions. They will also be able to make appointments to chat with university representatives one-on-one. With so many opportunities available, we recommend that students are strategic in their choices this year, and that they and their families continue to monitor InTouch for the latest information.

At the end of the last academic year, we bid a fond farewell to Ms Sonja Bhan and we wish her well in the USA. We look forward to welcoming a new counsellor to the team this year, Ms Erin Slocum, as well as two University of Oxford interns, Charlie Lamb and Haneen Zeglam, who will be joining us at in Term 1 to assist with college essays and personal statements.

Examination

Examination Results:

Results: (I)GCSE

(I)GCSE

(I)GCSE Results Table 2017

100

2018

100

2019

(I)GCSE Summary for 2021 (Class of 2023) Year

No. of Candidates

No. of subjects offered

100

2017

174

29

2020

100

2018

184

29

2021

100

2019

166

24

2020

187

25

2021

189

25

* (I)GCSE examination results for Class of 2022 (2020) - 100% of Tanglin students achieving 5 A* to C or numerical grades 9-4

No. of Candidates

Subject

33 121 39 121 35 189 39 57 9 44 189 34 121 36 7 134 53 1261

Art and Design

Biology Business Chemistry Design and Technology English Literature French Further Maths Graphic Communication History Maths PE Physics Psychology Religious Studies Science (Double Award) Spanish TOTAL TOTAL %

No. of Candidates

Subject

68 48 65 189 72 11 52 42 32 579

Computer Science

Drama Economics English Language Geography Latin Chinese Moving Image Arts Music TOTAL TOTAL %

No. of Grades 9

8

14 59 10 52 13 61 16 28 5 14 65 17 54 10 6 5 12 441 35%

9 32 5 31 13 67 6 20 3 14 50 9 30 15

7

17 14 335 27%

A*/A

B

C

USA Grading A+/A A-/B+ B /B-

D

5

4

2 2 1 4 2

1 18

2

2 3 30 1 66 5%

9 1 14 1%

No. of Grades A*

A

B

61 36 41 93 50 10 36 9 16 352 61%

5 11 13 58 11 1 12 16 16 143 25%

2 1 7 31 10

E

C+/C C -/D+

C

D

3 5 1

2

6

2

1

63 11%

6 1%

11 2%

3 1%

F/G F

C*

4 8

Equivalency Table

UK Grading

6

7 3 23 7 16 6 24 12 3 5 39 18 12 3 7 2 1 9 6 36 18 6 2 23 12 6 1 32 39 14 11 259 144 21% 11%

% A* or 9/8

% A*/A or 9 - 7

48%

77%

189

189 students who took (I)GCSE in 25 subjects

39

%A*

%A*/A

%A*-C

70% 75% 38% 69% 74% 68% 56% 84% 89% 64% 61% 76% 69% 69% 86% 16% 49%

91% 94% 79% 88% 83% 88% 87% 96% 100% 84% 80% 94% 88% 86% 100% 40% 75%

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 99% 100%

62%

82%

100%

%A* %A*/A %A*C 90% 75% 63% 49% 69% 91% 69% 21% 50%

97% 98% 83% 80% 85% 100% 92% 60% 100%

100% 100% 98% 99% 100% 100% 100% 98% 100%

61%

85%

98%

% A*- C or 9 - 4

students achieved A* or equivalent in all their GCSEs

61% of all grades achieved were A* or equivalent

83% of all grades achieved were A*, A or equivalent

100% of all grades achieved were A*-C or equivalent

99%

19

Examination Results: A Level A Level Summary for 2021 % of A*/A grades achieved by Tanglin Students TTS Average 50% 2017 TTS Average 45% 2018 TTS Average 47% 2019 TTS Average 68% 2020 TTS Average 70% 2021

Year

No. of Candidates

Tanglin % passed

2017

117

100

2018

97

100

2019

120

100

2020

118

100

2021

116

100

Subject English Language English Literature Psychology Philosophy Mathematics Further Maths Computer Science Art and Design Drama Moving Image Arts Biology Chemistry Physics Geography History Politics Business Economics A Chinese French Spanish PE Totals Percentage Cumulative Percentage No of Students

% of A*-C grades achieved by Tanglin Students TTS Average 92% 2017 TTS Average 93% 2018 TTS Average 91% 2019 TTS Average 98% 2020 TTS Average 97% 2021 No. of Grades

No. of Candidates 7 21 25 3 61 9 18 14 11 17 33 23 24 22 12 8 25 19 1 3 1 4 361

% of A*-B grades achieved by Tanglin Students 2017 TTS Average 78% TTS Average 75% 2018 TTS Average 73% 2019 TTS Average 90% 2020 TTS Average 86% 2021

A*

A

B

C

1 5 15 1 25 7 12 5 5 4 16 6 9 15 4 2 4 10

1 7 3 1 18 2 2 3 3 7 11 11 8 4 5 3 3 8

4 5 2

1 3 5 1 8

7 2 5 3 4 3 4 2 1 3 2 9 1 1 1

D

E

1 1

1

1

2 2 2 3 1

1 2 1

1 8

of grades were at A*

70%

%A*/A %A*-C %A*-E

U

1

2

42%

1

2 1 3 1 152 101 59 39 9 1 0 42% 28% 16% 11% 2% 0% 0% 42% 70% 86% 97% 100% 100% 100%

29% 57% 72% 67% 70% 100% 78% 57% 73% 65% 82% 74% 71% 86% 75% 63% 28% 95% 0% 67% 100% 100% 70%

100% 95% 100% 100% 95% 100% 94% 100% 100% 100% 97% 100% 92% 95% 100% 100% 96% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 97%

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

of all grades were an A* or A

97% of all grades were in the A*-C range

47%

116

of EPQ grades were A* Subject

No. of Entries

A*

A

B

C

D

Extended Project Qualification

113

53

31

17

11

1

47%

27%

15%

10%

1%

Percentage

Equivalancy Table UK Grading A B C D E U USA Grading A+/A A-/B+ B/B- C+/C C-/D+ F

20

E

0%

U

74% of EPQ grades were A* or A

Examination

Examination Results:

Results: IB Diploma English A: Lang and Lit HL English A: Lang and Lit SL English A: Literature HL English A: Literature SL Chinese A: Lit Self Taught SL Chinese B SL Dutch A: Lit Self Taught SL French Ab Initio SL French B HL French B SL German A: Lit Self Taught SL Latin HL Latin SL Latin SL Russian A: Lit Self Taught SL Spanish Ab Initio SL Spanish B SL Business Management HL Business Management SL Economics HL Economics SL Geography HL Geography SL Global Politics HL Global Politics SL History HL History SL Philosophy HL Philosophy SL Psychology HL Biology HL Biology SL Chemistry HL Chemistry SL Computer Science HL Computer Science SL Environment and Society SL Physics HL

27 25 4 3 1 11 1 3 3 8 1 3 3 2 1 11 13 8 2 22 3 7 1 4 1 5 5 2 1 12 19 6

Mathematics AA HL Mathematics AA SL Mathematics AI HL Mathematics AI SL Film HL Film SL Music HL Music SL Theatre HL Theatre SL Visual Arts HL Visual Arts SL TOTAL

6

5

7

6

5

9 11 3 2

11 13 1 1 1 7 1 1

7 1

4 2 3 6

4

3

2 1

Tanglin Students Average Diploma Score (out of 45) 2017

38.1

2018 2019

38.2

2019

39.1

2020

41.0

2021 World Average

33.0

IB Diploma Summary for 2021

3 3

5 9 7 2 13 2 6 1 4

12 11 2

4

6 1 5 5 3 6 4 9 3 5 4 2 1 2 6 1 3 1 195

3

2 1 5 4 1

1

41.0

Tanglin IB average

9 1 1

33.0

World Average

1 1 2 1 1

4 3 1

10 3 5 5 7 9 5 13 28 4 14 7 5 2 2 7 1 5 6 354

Physics SL

Equivalancy Table IB Grading 7 USA Grading A+

No. of Grades

No. of Candidates

Subject

IB Diploma

2

4

5 1

3 3

3 2

1

3 3 3 6 12 1 6 2 3 1

students achieved the prestigious bilingual diploma

100%

achieved 35 points or more

1

29

2 3 7

students achieved 42 points or more

3 1

86%

13

1 1 5 125

1 34

0

0

achieved 38 points or more

students achieved 44+ points, placing them in the top 1% of IB candidates worldwide

1

A/A- B+/B- C+/C C-/D+ D/D- F

21

University Placements UK

Arts University Bournemouth Aston University Bath Spa University Birmingham City University Bournemouth University Bristol, University of the West

of England Brunel, University of London Canterbury, Christ Church University Cardiff University City, University of London De Montford University Durham University Imperial College London Keele University King’s College London Kingston University Lancaster University Leeds Arts University Leeds Beckett University London Metropolitan University London School of Economics

and Political Science Loughborough University Manchester Metropolitan University Newcastle University Northumbria University Norwich University of the Arts Nottingham Trent University Oxford Brooks University Queen Mary University of London Ravensbourne University London Rose Bruford College Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Veterinary College Sheffield Hallam University St Mary’s University Twickenham Swansea University The Courthauld Institute of Art The University of Law University College London University of Aberdeen University of Bath University of Birmingham University of Brighton University of Bristol University of Cambridge University of Chester University of Chichester University of Dundee University of East Anglia University of Edinburgh

22

University of Essex University of Exeter University of Glasgow University of Gloucestershire University of Hertfordshire University of Kent University of Leeds University of Leicester University of Liverpool University of Manchester University of Northampton University of Nottingham University of Oxford University of Reading University of Roehampton University of Sheffield University of Southampton University of St Andrews University of Stirling University of Surrey University of Sussex University of the Creative Arts University of Warwick University of Westminster University of York

Northeastern University Northwestern University Pomona College Santa Clara University The New School Tufts University University of California Berkeley University of California Davis University of California Irvine University of California Los Angeles University of California Riverside University of California San Diego University of California Santa Barbara University of California Santa Cruz University of Chicago University of Connecticut University of Michigan - Ann Arbor University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of Utah University of Virginia University of Washington Seattle Campus Wellesley College Yale University

North America Canada

Europe France

McMaster University Queen’s University Ryerson University University of British Columbia University of Ottawa University of Toronto University of Waterloo Western University Wilfrid Laurier University York University

USA

American University Barnard College Boston University Brandeis University Bryn Mawr College Cal State LA Carnegie Mellon University Chapman University Colorado State University Cornell University Georgia Tech Hawaii Pacific University Indiana University Bloomington Loyola Marymount University New York University

École Polytechnique

Ireland

Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art,

Design and Technology Trinity College Dublin University College Dublin

The Netherlands

Erasmus University Rotterdam Leiden University Tillburg University University of Amsterdam Utrecht University

Spain

IE University

Asia Singapore Yale-NUS EHL

This list is complete as of August 31, 2021 and is subject to alterations and amendments. Southern Hemisphere acceptances are pending.

23

Sport

by Dave Radcliffe, Acting Director of Sport

Tanglin Sport faced several challenges throughout 2020/21.

The limitations imposed by various restrictions meant students and staff – and the programme itself – were required to adapt to and harness the opportunities presented by this “blank canvas”. While many students have missed the opportunity to play competitive matches and tournaments, we have seen motivation levels and participation numbers remain consistently high as students have embraced a new style of coaching and learning, and the increased range of activities on offer.

Infant School

Our new strategic vision for Sport is focused on a whole-school Sport pathway from 3-18. This involves integrating aspects of basic movement skills development at Infant and Junior levels to support sport specific skill-based training at Senior level. In 2020/21, we were pleased to introduce new activities aimed at increasing age-appropriate opportunities for our Infant children. In our Fun to Move with Gymnastics, and Ball Skills and Games sessions, children learned a wide variety of fundamental movement skills and developed an understanding of tactics in team games. In total, 302 boys and girls benefited from the introduction of these Tanglin-led options and our aim in 2021/22 is for this number to grow.

Junior School

Changes to the Junior Sport programme provided a broader range of activities, with wider movement diversity at an age when it is essential that children develop the 10 Basic Movement Skills (BSM).

Movement Freestyle is an exciting and popular new activity that combines elements of Parkour, Free Running and Gymnastics. In 2020/21, children explored a range of mixed movement skills such as running, jumping, vaulting, climbing, and rotating, and learned to explore ways of overcoming physical challenges in a variety of environments around the school. Martial Arts provided children with opportunities for movement control and athletic development, while the addition of Judo to the programme demanded a unique set of movement patterns such as pushing, pulling, and grappling.

Both activities helped to foster the essential values of respect, discipline, and perseverance.

Our popular team sports and invasion games still provide the core element of the Junior programme, and an emphasis on coaching through small sided, multi-skill games has enabled greater student involvement, whilst challenging our budding sportsmen and women to develop their skills in a range of adapted games.

Senior School

The loss of the competitive calendar in 2020/21 was perhaps felt most keenly by our Senior School students. Despite this, the participation and motivation levels of our students remained consistently high, and the absence of competitive fixtures meant

24

we could extend the programme on offer, with a number of age groups training throughout the year. Working in groups of five for the most part, students embraced the intensive “1 vs 1” and “2 vs 2” activities, and enjoyed the chance to play in modified spaces, with modified rules, often playing a 2 vs 2 game with an additional “golden player”. The rapid and frequent transition between attack and defence encourages our students to be intelligent decision makers and supports their technical development. With the onset of Phase 3, allowing for groups of eight, we were able to schedule internal mini-leagues in sports such as football, netball and touch, with some students given the chance to compete in a limited number of friendlies against partner schools. Feedback from our students reflected their enjoyment of being able to compete and socialise once again through Sport: a much-needed dose of normality in unstable times.

Looking Ahead to 2021/22

Despite the challenges of the academic year, Sport at Tanglin continues to undergo significant and positive change. The Sport programme recently launched on our new Co-Curriculum platform, SOCS, and is designed to offer students a wider and more comprehensive programme that is appropriate for their needs at each stage on the 3-18 pathway. Our Infant School children can choose from a range of Tanglin and externally-run activities, while Junior School students have access to a variety of options centred around a number of core sports. This programme fits with our vision of nurturing multi-movement children throughout Infants and up to Year 4, with children set to become young multi-sport athletes as they develop through Years 5-7.

By utilising Sport lessons, and Performance Training sessions for our high-performing squads in sessions before school, we can expand the after-school programme so that students are able to train for longer periods while still having the ability to access to a range of sports. We hope that more, better, and longer provision will have a significant impact on our aspiring young performers.

The appointment of a Head of Athletic Development and a High-Performance Specialist reflects our commitment to challenge and extend our most able and committed Tanglin Lions.

Sport in the Curriculum

In August 2020, the Senior School introduced a new Sport lesson each week for Middle School students (Years 7-9), in tandem with the launch of a new PE curriculum that focuses on the key themes of Athletic Development, Principles of Gameplay, Aquatics, and Freestyle Movement. The sessions enabled our students to choose from up to 12 different sports each term, and receive focused coaching in core sports such as football, netball, rugby and touch, alongside new activities such as climbing, fencing and gymnastic acro-dance. Delivery of these lessons was supported by a core group of coaches.

We observed our students making better progress and achieving greater skill development, as well as discovering new interests among the many activities on offer. In 2021/22, the Sport sessions will be extended to Upper School students (Years 10-11) so that all Seniors will be able to choose their favoured sports, in lessons delivered by key teachers and coaches. These Sport sessions are a central pillar of our new and enhanced Sport programme.

25

Infant Sport & Co-Curriculum Statistics for 2020/21

Sport Ball Skills & Games Fun to Move with Gymnastics Gymnastics Recreational Gymnastics Competitive TOTAL (individual pupils)

Total 96 185 89 16 302

Boys 51 73

Girls 45

24 3 120

65 13

112

182

Our new Co-Curricular provision has significantly increased participation numbers in the Infant School.

These figures do not include Paid Co-Curricular Activities.

26

Junior Sport & Co-Curriculum Statistics for 2020/21 Badminton Basketball

Boys

Bouldering & Climbing

Girls

Confidence through Judo Cricket Dance Developing Skills through Basketball & Netball

Dodgeball Football Golf Gymnastics Recreational

Gymnastics - Competitive High-5 Netball Indoor Hockey & Floorball

Invasion Games Mini Basketball (skills & Games)

Movement Freestyle Netball (skills & Games) Rugby Touch & Tag (Decision making) Street Racket (skills & Games) Strike Field & Target Games

Junior Merlions Merlions Gold Squard Tanglin Climbing Touch (skills & Game Yoga

05

0

100

150

200

Junior School students benefited from a variety of choice, with 27 different activities on offer.

27

Senior Sport & Co-Curriculum Statistics for 2020/21 Badminton

Boys

Basketball

Girls

Cricket X-Country Football Gymnastics - Recreational Gymnastics - Competitive Dance Netball Rugby Golf Swimming Climbing Touch Volleyball Yoga

05

0

100

150

Team sports continued to be a popular choice for our Senior School students, with participation in badminton popular across the age range.

28

200

29

The Arts INFANT SCHOOL

Art & Design

by Libby Henderson, Head of Art & Design (Infant) What a fantastic year of art we had in the Infant School. A definite highlight for Year 1 and 2 was having a live Zoom call with Singapore artist, Yip Yew Chong, otherwise known as YC. He answered many of our questions, and inspired us to look for his art and produce our own lifelike drawings. It was great to see so many photos of the children interacting and posing with his murals found around Singapore.

Our Art STLA Stephanie Wijaya worked with all year groups before departing on maternity leave at Easter. Year 1 and 2 classes focused on drawing skills, while Nursery and Reception developed their printing techniques. The children from Nursery made minibeast-inspired prints, carefully planned by “Miss Stephanie”, creating an amazing display in the Nursery unit.

We were excited to welcome her back in August.

What’s more, the entire Infant School took part in The Big Draw once again. The 2021 even had an environmental theme, so the children each decorated a reusable bag with an eco-friendly message. They were also given the task of creating a leaf out of seeded paper.

Technical Art & Design Executive Mona Choo did a great job of turning these leaves into a life-sized tree! It was an amazing sculpture to walk past each day.

Music

by Delphine Hastwell, Head of Music (Infant) While changing local restrictions made for an unpredictable 2020/21, there was still plenty to celebrate in Infant Music. At the end of Term 1, the department was delighted to be able to take part in St George’s Festival of Music, when our solo singers performed alongside Junior and Senior students. In the same month, Year 2 ensembles were also given their time to shine; each class recorded a Christmas song and played a variety of percussion instruments for a performance that was recorded and shared with families.

Throughout the year, we were lucky to have several live performances from our

30

instrumental tutors, as well as visits from local musicians who played percussion for all children in Years 1 and 2. The school’s instrumental tutors also came to share their expertise and knowledge of classical music with children in their music classes.

In addtion to this, we were pleased to welcome musicians from the Senior School, who performed for the children as part of their exam preparation.

In Term 3, all Year 2 students performed in the wonderful Lonely Beast, either performing instruments, dancing or singing.

The show was performed live to Reception children, with a video recording shared with families. It was a real highlight for many.

In 2021/22, we hope to stage more shows that will enable all children to perform live in front of their friends and families.

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Art & Design

by Peter Hinckley, Head of Art & Design (Junior) In 2020/21, the children in the Junior School had the opportunity to access an ever-increasing range of specialist art resources, including specialist tools, media, and equipment for painting, drawing, textiles and ceramics.

Learning in Art fosters individuality, creativity, confidence-building and expression, and our curriculum nurtures opportunities for individual and collaborative work, both within Art and across the curriculum. Throughout the year the children accessed a diverse range of media, including collage, painting, and drawing, as well as opportunities to progressively develop their skills and techniques.

As a result of the continuing challenges of COVID-19, we also explored opportunities to celebrate the children’s experience in Art through a range of new approaches. This included the creation of virtual galleries for Years 3 and 5 using the 3D environment CoSpaces EDU, and a collaborative Arts project for Year 6 linked to the Year 6 Arts showcase, in which the students contributed their own art, video critiques, and an explanation of the process and production of their artwork. In addition to this, we provided every student with their own “mobile Art toolkit”: a fun and invaluable resource in the shifting learning landscape. In 2021/22, we hope to expand our Co-Curriculum offering and explore a greater range of media.

Drama

by Theresa Chapman, Head of Drama (Junior) For the Drama department, 2020/21 was a challenging year, with restrictions limiting our use of specialist spaces and performance opportunities.

Despite the difficulties, Year 6 rose spectacularly to the challenge of creating a unique film performance inspired by their World War 2 topic, entitled War Stories: Keeping Hope Alive. Children were tasked with developing dialogue, working in role, and exploring a range of different topics in small groups; the results were performed to camera in the Berrick Hall so they could be deservedly shared with our community.

Music

by Fiona Knight Lucas, Head of Music (Junior) The Junior Music department has enjoyed a busy year of performances and events. In Term 1, members of our Chamber Choir were privileged to participate in this year’s poignant virtual Remembrance Day ceremony, alongside choirs from Dulwich, Marlborough College and Dover Court, in addition to performing at St George’s Festival of Music. The entire Year 4 cohort delivered a delightful virtual concert, The Magic of Christmas, with each class performing as a class orchestra on a wide variety of instruments.

Similarly, in Term 2, Year 6 shared their musical talents with World War 2-themed pieces performed on orchestral and classroom instruments as part of their stunning Arts collaboration, War Stories.

Throughout the year, we have been treated to solo and duet performances in our termly Junior Virtual Recital series. We were especially proud of our 18 talented soloists who gave outstanding performances in the prestigious Junior Young Musicians in Concert live event. In addition to this, our 19 Junior ensembles enjoyed performing for a variety of audiences, and we are very much looking forward to further showcasing their talents this year.

Congratulations and thank you to all our students for their continued passion and commitment to music at Tanglin.

Outside the classroom, many children showed their commitment to the Arts by signing up to online Co-Curricular workshops and logging in each week, and getting creative in their own homes.

The Drama team is so proud of the children for their resilience and creativity over the past year. We look forward to getting the children back on stage in 2021/22.

31

SENIOR SCHOOL

Foreword

by Richie Baxter, Head of Arts Last year presented a number of challenges to the Arts Faculty, with our usual classroom practices and showcase events unable to take place due to pandemic. The Arts staff at Tanglin tackled this challenge head-on with an out-of-the-box approach to finding new and innovative ways for students to create, collaborate and share their talents with the community. Numerous online events were created across the faculty to replace live events, including the Senior Ensembles Concert: Music Around the World, the ARTiculation public speaking competition, the Dance showcase: Dancing Through the Darkness, and the National Gallery Collaborative project. Our talented students also continued to be inspired by visiting artists and online workshops such as Jennifer Hartley in Drama, Gary Friedman in Film, and Chen Shitong and Leilani Trinka in Art. With restrictions lifted for a time, our outstanding team of teachers and technicians committed to working within the guidelines to create numerous events and small live performances so Tanglin’s aspiring artists could share their talents with an audience once again. These included Battle of the Bands concerts, a performance of Titus Andronicus, the 36-hour Film project Arts Collaboration, An Evening of Jazz, and the IB Art exhibition. More on these below.

Art & Design

by Robert Le Grice, Assistant Head of Faculty (Art & Design) It’s been a year of creative improvisation for the Art & Design team.

Term 1 saw us carve out a “new normal”. Unable to venture out into Singapore, we instead created virtual experiences through video and photo archives to help launch new projects; that’s how Year 8 explored the paintings in the National Gallery Singapore last September and how Year 7 investigated Bright Hill Temple in January. The new workshop-based curriculum for Year 9 worked well. The cohort made great artwork using a variety of techniques, which were shared through an online gallery.

For the Sixth Form, Term 1 flowed smoothly and workshops were held whenever possible. In November, the artist Chen Shitong hosted a series of printmaking workshops, focused on Year 12. We always enjoy the lively and colourful energy he brings into school.

In November, we participated in the annual Singapore International Schools Art Exhibition (IN); again, the 2020 version looked a little different, being held virtually. While it could not replace the usual, live event, the IN website was spectacular and students appreciated being able to share artwork with their peers across Singapore.

32

The year progressed with some challenges. The climax to our National Gallery project was cancelled, but we were still able to showcase our work on another fabulous website. March saw two wonderful events: ARTticulation, an Art History-based competiton that was won by a Year 13 Tanglin student; and our Celebration Evening for the IB Visual Art course, a lovely exhibition for a small audience of Year 13 students and their parents. The return to Remote Learning at the end of the year presented some difficulties to our young artists, since so much of our work is active, collaborative and “messy”. However, in making good use of digital media, the students rose to this challenge and produced some very creative responses. Our hope for 2021/22 is that Tanglin students will once again be able to show us their talents in “reality!”

Dance and Drama

by Kate Edwards, Assistant Head of Faculty (Drama) Debbie Allen’s assertion that, “Out of limitations comes creativity” resonated throughout the Drama department last year, when we all had to adapt to the ever-changing local restrictions related to COVID-19.

The year began with the cancellation of a residency by Paperbirds Theatre Company but, despite the disappointment, the Drama team rallied to provide opportunities through the Co-Curriculum.

First up was the fabulous production of Mayflower, written and led by James Russell, with the support of Year 12 student directors guiding each small group of Middle School students. Using only sail cloth, ropes and shadow puppetry, they created a refugee boat, a modern-day United Nations assembly, and a wintery and inhospitable 17th Century Plymouth Rock.

Our programme continued with a performance of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus by the Upper School. The modern dress, abridged, traverse production offered a select audience the chance to see a live production of this most challenging play. Dancing Through the Darkness, the year’s beautiful Dance showcase, was once again ably led by a group of Year 13 students, who opted for a filmed performance that would adhere to restrictions.

Fingers were kept crossed for Grease throughout the year as the musical was cast, ready for production at the end of Term 3. Each Monday, the Drama studios were occupied by small groups of students working on their dancing and acting, and – when allowed – singing! However, the tightening of local restrictions towards the summer break meant a full performance of the musical was no longer an option. This was a real disappointment for the students who had given so much time, energy and creative input to the show. But, all was not lost: our newly-forged “Plan 87” means much of their fabulous work will be salvageable in the coming year.

A real success in 2020/21 was the introduction of LAMDA examinations. Under the watchful eye of Pangdemonium’s Mark Waite, almost 20 students took their performance exams in early June and responded brilliantly to the experience. As for the team, we remain cautiously optimistic about 2021/22. We have been down, but are definitely not out!

Film

by Stephen Coughlan, Assistant Head of Faculty (Media Technology) As you can imagine, making films was particularly challenging for our students last year. Restrictions such as the wearing of masks, not being allowed to shoot in public places, and being limited to a small cast and crew required a high degree of logistical and creative adaptability. Scripts had to be promptly revised, exterior locations moved indoors and, in one or two cases, green screens were required to replace the real world.

Given the sudden narrowing of filming parameters, it might be expected that the quality of the work suffered, but this was not the case. In fact, the year’s films were our strongest to date. Filming at home rather than on location afforded students a greater degree of control over lighting and sound design, while the need to revise and redraft scripts to meet local restrictions resulted in tighter and more focused plotlines. Furthermore, the inability to socialise freely allowed for the creation of phenomenal hand-drawn animations!

Thanks to the support of the TTS Foundation, the absolute highlight of this year was a series of online workshops presented by Gary Friedman, an esteemed master puppeteer who studied under the legendary Jim Henson, and teaches Puppetry for Film and Television at Sydney Film School. Working with Year 10 Film students, Gary shared his expertise on topics that included How to Create a Walk Cycle and How to Design an Animated Character. His belief that Film should be used to explore global issues was inspiring; undoubtedly, his teaching positively impacted their approach to the students’ Term 2 animation production planning.

We were delighted to hear that former Film student Nic Galea is now an Assistant Editor at esteemed non-fiction production company Off the Fence. Located in the UK and the Netherlands, it recently won both an Oscar and a BAFTA Best Documentary Feature award for the film My Octopus Teacher. We also learned that Lucy James, one of our first Film students, was part of the design team responsible for the amazing costumes worn by lead actress Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984, released in 2020.

Music

by Helen Owain, Assistant Head of Faculty (Music) “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional”, so said Robert Crawford – and this was certainly been the attitude of the Senior Music department in 2020/21. In the face of significant obstacles, our motto was always, “the show must go on”.

Our usual October Senior Ensembles Concert was replaced with an excellent online concert, Music Around The World, that featured around 400 students and gained more than 10,000 views on YouTube. Full credit should go to the staff and students involved for adapting to rehearsals on Microsoft Teams, learning how to create virtual choirs, and coping with socially-distanced rehearsals amidst ever-changing rules and restrictions.

We continued with our virtual concerts and performances throughout Term 1, releasing a Christmas concert and series of Jazz performances. Then, in Term 2, we were thrilled to be able to host our first live concerts in the form of the Music Recital series and an epic Battle of the Bands. Our planned Botanic Beats concert was adapted to become virtual, and was another excellent example of both our students’ resilience and the ability of staff to successfully adjust to new ways of working. Term 2 also featured some outstanding live performances: An Evening of Jazz showcased our Jazz Band, Big Band, Jazztet and soloists; and the annual Senior Young Musician finals understandably stunned the audience.

Term 3 began with some inspirational concerts and workshops from the Frissom String Quartet and Morse Percussion group, and saw preparations begin in earnest for some end-of-term performances.

While these were temporarily put on hold, we paused knowing our hard work would continue on once on-campus learning resumed.

All in all, we experienced a different but no less successful year, with all of us learning new skills, and drawing on reserves of patience and perseverance we didn’t know we possessed. Well done all!

33

Outdoor Education Outdoor Education Team – also began, with the children discovering hitherto unknown pockets of greenery in surprising corners of our school site. As part of the walks, the mango tree received several hugs, and our resident population of Garden fence lizards and pygmy grass blue butterflies garnered some enthusiastic responses!

by Martin Foakes, Head of Outdoor Education It was certainly another challenging year for Outdoor Education departments around the world but, if there’s something we are very used to dealing with in our work, it is uncertainty.

In fact, managing uncertainty, being flexible, and making sound decisions are some of the key learning outcomes of a successful Outdoor Education programme. This is why, in 2020/21, it was more important than ever to provide students with real opportunities to challenge themselves, and to work effectively as a team in order to overcome obstacles.

Whether it is wild weather, wild animals or even unpredictable fellow human beings, an adventure in the outdoors teaches you how to respond to and navigate the problems the world can throw at you. Think of the captain of a whitewater rafting descent: he or she seeks safe passage between the rocks and wisely uses the power of the water to help steer their boat safely downstream.

By working with nature rather than against it, the captain is much more likely to reach their destination.

In 2020/21, we felt lucky to have been able to continue providing engaging and inspiring outdoor learning experiences for most year groups in the school, albeit with some interruptions and always working within the restrictions of Safe Management Measures (SMMs). Many of my colleagues across Southeast Asia have been confined to their homes for extended periods of time and unable to plan any outdoor activities at all. At Tanglin, we have been fortunate: not only in being able to get out into nature, but also to continue on with a blend of on- and offsite activities. So, what experiences have we had this year? The answer is: more than you might expect!

We were very excited to come back to Tanglin for the start of the 2020/21 year, having prevailed through the escalation of the Coronavirus pandemic and the circuit breaker period of Spring 2020. Even more exciting was a press release from the Ministry of Education on 7 October, announcing that Outdoor Education and CCAs could resume, with SMMs in place.

However, despite our delight in being able to plan for a number of outside activities and excursions, there were still several hurdles to leap before we could head off to the great outdoors. Therefore, we decided to continue running our programme on campus for the duration of Term 1, when we were able to host the LTA Safe Riding Programme for all Year 3 and 4 students. We also hosted Outdoor Survivor and Explorer themed days, with students learning and developing skills in soft archery, first aid and rescue, shelter building, and more. Our Infant School nature walks – led by the

34

Unable to venture out into the wider community, our Senior School CAS groups and Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award service groups began considering how they might promote biodiversity on our Portsdown Road site. The groups made use of our small, green spaces to plant vegetables, fruits and local herbs; as I write, there are okra, bananas, chillies and wild yams ready to be harvested.

This initiative probably wouldn’t have taken place if not for the pandemic and therefore served as a useful lesson for us all.

Our first off-site trips began in February as Year 6 tutor groups headed out separately to Kranji War Memorial with their class teachers. While the trip has been a regular feature of the Year 6 curriculum for many years, last year’s proved particularly special; smaller group sizes meant more space and more time to explore.

The timing was also particularly apt, with the first group of students visiting on the anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, in February 1942.

I was moved to witness many students trying to locate memorials or search for records dedicated to family members. The Tanglin community has deep roots in the history of Singapore so this trip always has a certain poignancy and, this year, offered some much-needed perspective on our current situation.

Our iconic Nursery trip to Labrador Park has always been a crucial opportunity for parents to accompany their children on their very first offsite adventure, so we were delighted the outing was able to go ahead, this year in class groups. Similarly, we were pleased to run Year 1 and 2 class trips to Jacob Ballas Childrens Garden – again, with some key adjustments.

Term 2 was one of the busiest terms I have ever experienced at Tanglin, with virtually back-to-back day trips running for students across all three schools. There was palpable excitement whenever we boarded the buses and headed off campus! Of course, we were unable to visit any of our usual overseas destinations and instead revisited some local favourites, both with new host providers and those we have already built strong relationships with. The revamped Pulau Ubin trip for Year 4 was a particular highlight, and included cycling and hiking for the first time. Closer to campus, Year 3 enjoyed some surprisingly spectacular wildlife encounters on their nature walks in One-North Park. While the term brought a renewed focus on outdoor adventure, it also illustrated the challenges of organising school trips during a pandemic; visits to public spaces were no longer simply a matter of going for “a walk in the park”.

There aren’t many outdoor facilities in Singapore that can offer the capacity for a Tanglin year group so for us, Sarimbun Scout Camp is a hidden gem. Students in Year 7, 8 and 9 all enjoyed the opportunity in Term 2 to spend a day playing archery tag, solving team challenges on the low ropes, outdoor cooking, and – last but not least – jumping into the infamous “Milo” pond. I lost count of the number of students who were adamant they would not be leaping into the muddy water, before doing just that. A source of pride was when camp staff informed us that Tanglin students are more willing than most to make the jump!

We also managed to fit in an adventure day at Sembawang for all our Year 5 and 6 students. Sembawang also offers team challenges, low ropes and archery tag, but the highlight of the day for many was

the opportunity to make a raft or paddle a sea kayak off the beach.

Students from Year 10 upwards are encouraged to register for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and thanks to an incredible effort from the DofE team, we were able to get more than 100 students out on their Bronze Adventurous Journeys last year. Meanwhile, our elite Gold Award students in Year 12 and 13 planned and completed their multi-day sea kayaking expedition.

With a ban on camping overnight in place, students put up tents and cooked meals in the outdoors before returning to their own homes at the end of each day. Nevertheless, we had an amazing, challenging experience, and we look forward to completing the students’ final qualifying expedition once restrictions allow.

The Outdoor Education team was proud last year to be able to offer the students exciting, yet safe, days out in environments that feel a long way from Portsdown Road. Together, Team Tanglin – just like our aforementioned rafting captain – was able to navigate a safe path through the rocky rapids of 2020/21, paddling hard from start to finish! With the rolling out of our exciting on-site Forest School programme and the year’s gardening projects now looking green and bushy, we are set for an even better 2021/22, Our transition to a new, balanced programme will retain and build upon our status as a world-class provider of Outdoor Education experiences for children.

35

Governance

Tanglin Trust School Limited (formerly known as Tanglin Trust Limited) was incorporated on 21 August 1961 as a public company limited by guarantee.

It was registered under the Charities Act on December 29, 1984.

Unique Entity Number (UEN) Registered Address Banker Auditor

Governing Instrument

196100114C 95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited KMPG LLP Tanglin Trust School Limited Constitution

Governing Board Members of Tanglin Trust School Limited Dominic Nixon

Governor and Chair of Board of Governors (Member since 19 March, 2002)

Rajan Raju Governor (Member since 2 July, 2016)

Robert Arbuthnott Governor (Member since 16 February, 2012)

Chris Riley Governor (Member since 1 July, 2017)

Fang Eu-Lin

Governor and Chair of Board Finance & Risk Committee (Member since 1 May, 2016)

Richard Routledge Governor (Member since 1 September, 2020)

Colm McCarthy Governor (Member since 7 March, 2013)

Neil Tottman Governor and Chair of Board Development and Alumni Committee (Member since 13 September, 2007)

Gina Lee-Wan Governor (Member since 19 February, 2005)

Clare Wijeratne Governor and Chair of Board Talent Committee (Member since 1 March, 2017)

Sue McNamara Governor and Chair of Board Education Policy and Schools Curriculum Committee (Member since 1 September, 2009) Sim Preston Governor and Chair of Board Building Committee (Member since 1 June, 2020)

36

Some Governors have served beyond 10 years. The Board, collectively, wishes to retain these Governors as they have the necessary skills, relevant experience and commitment to serve Tanglin Trust School. For those Governors who have served beyond 10 years, re-election to the Board requires a simple majority approval of 50%. For Governors who have served beyond 15 years, re-election to the Board requires unanimity.

Board membership is voluntary and not remunerated. There are no paid staff who are close members of the family of the Chief Executive Officer or Board Members for the period September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021.

Committees

The Board appoints separate committees in relation to the following areas of responsibility: • Building • Education • Development and Alumni • Finance and Risk • Talent

No. of Meetings Held Dominic Nixon Robert Arbuthnott Fang Eu-Lin Colm McCarthy Sue McNamara Sim Preston Rajan Raju Chris Riley Richard Routledge Neil Tottman Gina Lee-Wan Clare Wijeratne

7 7 5 6 7 7 6 6 6 7 7 6 7

3 3 3 1 3 3 2

3 2

2 2 3 3 3 1

3 3 3 3 3 3

6 6 4 6 4 6 6

eeti ng eM itte mm nt C o Tal e

De Comvelop mitt men ee t an Me d A etin lum ni g

etin g Me Bui Com lding mitt ee

Governors’ Attendance

Bo Me ard o etin f Go ver g

nor s’

Period: September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2021

Ed Cur ucatio ricu n P lum olic Com y an mitt d Sch ee ools Me Fin etin a g Com nce & mitt Ri ee sk Me etin g

Board of Governors’ and Board Committees’ Meeting Attendance Record

4 3 3

4 3 3

6

4 4

Note: Due to business travel, work commitments and/or being in countries with different time zone, a few Governors were unable to attend some of the Board and Board Committee meetings.

37

Management Team for 2020/21 Academic Year

Ling Guan Heng Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Financial Officer Appointed 13 April 2009

John Ridley Director of Learning Appointed 1 September 2011

Brian Teng Director of Operations Appointed 22 January 2007

Cecilia Handel Director of Development Appointed 23 August 2010

Paula Craigie Head of Infant School Appointed 1 August 2014

Clair Harrington-Wilcox Head of Junior School Appointed 1 August 2016

Sophie Harle Director of Human Resources Appointed 1 June 2013

Allan Forbes Head of Senior School Appointed 1st September 2015

Keith Rutherford Director of Educational Business Technology Appointed 5 August 2019

Tom Evans Director of Marketing and Communications Appointed 17 June 2019

Michael Holiday Director of Co-Curriculum Appointed 1 January 2020

Craig Considine Chief Executive Officer Appointed 1 August 2018

38

Whistleblowing Policy

Tanglin Trust School has a Whistleblowing Policy. The Policy is posted on the School’s website (tts.edu.sg) and may be used, if needed, by employees, suppliers, business partners and others in the school community.

Tanglin Trust School Limited 95 Portsdown Road Singapore 139299 t: +65 6778 0771 f: +65 6777 5862 w: www.tts.edu.sg

40

CPE Registration No.: 196100114C CPE Registration Period: 7 June 2017 to 6 June 2023